The Brave
by mavk4444
Summary: After King Richard dies, his son Kendall is expected to become the next king. But shortly after his father's death he disappears. The king's brother William becomes king instead. Logan Mitchell, Kendall's best friend and prospective husband, finds him after many years. Can he convince Kendall to return home? Or is the kingdom destined to crumble under their cruel new leader?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! So this story came to me after I watched The Lion King a few days ago. Here's a list so you all know who's supposed to be who. Some characters may be on the list, but might not appear until later in the story. Other characters from the show (Mr. Bitters, Katie, ect.) won't even be in the story at all. Also, this will have slash in the form of Kendall/Logan. This story also starts when Kendall and Logan are ten, but eventually they will end up being around eighteen or nineteen.**

**Kendall Knight= Simba**

**Logan Mitchell=Nala**

**Richard Knight= Mufasa**

**Jennifer Knight= Sarabi**

**Liam= Zazu**

**William Knight= Scar**

**James Diamond= Timon**

**Carlos Garcia= Pumbaa**

**Joanna Mitchell= Sarafina**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Time Rush or The Lion King.**

* * *

"Kendall, come here a moment."

Young Prince Kendall Knight, future king of Gallia, stepped out onto the balcony next to his father. King Richard smiled down at his only child.

"Yes, father?" The young prince asked. His big green eyes peered up at his father, who smiled down at him.

"Come closer," His father said. Kendall stepped forward, and his father hoisted him up onto the ledge, holding onto his small body to keep him from falling.

Kendall gasped quietly. The kingdom was…beautiful. Kendall could see lakes filled with beautiful shining water. There were quaint little houses, much, much smaller than the large castle he shared with his parents and a small group off their friends. There were stone streets, and lined along them were vendors selling a variety of items to other people.

"Whoa," Kendall breathed. He had never left the castle. His parents had always told him about the outside world, but he had never actually seen it. But now, seeing it, made him realize it was…magical.

His father chuckled.

"Whoa, indeed. You see everything the sun touches?" Kendall nodded.

"Yes."

"That is all ours." Kendall's eyes grew wide.

"_All_ of it?" He asked. Richard chuckled.

"Yes, son. All of it." Kendall took in the kingdom again, when his eyes landed on a dark patch far in the distance.

"What about there?"

Richard stared at the spot his son was pointing at. His face visibly darkened.

"That is where…_evil_ is. You must never go there." Richard told his son firmly. Kendall turned to him.

"Never? Not even when I'm a king?" He asked. Richard shook his head.

"Not even when you're a king." Kendall's eyes grew wide as he nodded.

"Okay, father. I promise." He said. Richard smiled softly at him.

Suddenly, Liam burst through the doors. Liam was the king's majordomo. Wherever King Richard was, Liam was as well.

"Your Highness!" He bowed quickly to Richard before continuing. "There is a…disturbance on the east side of the castle. The guards have directed I come and get you immediately."

Richard gently lifted Kendall off the ledge and put him on the ground.

"What's going on?" Kendall asked quietly. He stared up at his father. Richard shook his head.

"I don't really know. But, go to your room. And do not come out until someone tells you to. Do you understand?" He asked. Kendall nodded quickly.

"Yes, father."

"Good. Now go!"

Kendall took off running. He ran as fast as his ten year old legs let him. He skidded down hallways and almost ran into his best friend since birth, Logan Mitchell.

"Kendall, what's wrong?" He asked the young prince. Kendall looked at him with wide eyes.

"Something's going on outside the castle. My father said I have to stay in my room until someone comes and gets me. Come on!"

Logan gasped as Kendall grabbed his wrist and tugged him into the direction of his room. Kendall finally reached his room. He tugged his best friend inside and closed the door. He ran over to the curtains and pulled them shut as best as he could.

The young prince grabbed Logan's wrist and the two crashed onto the bed. Kendall panted heavily, and glanced over at his best friend, who was watching him with wide eyes.

Once he finally got his breath back, Logan scooted up until his back hit the headboard. Kendall followed his example, and the two boys stared at each other.

"What do you think is happening?" Logan asked. Kendall opened his mouth to respond, but he was cut off by loud shouting outside. Both ten year olds jumped.

The door opened, and a tall man stood in the doorway. He looked about his father's age. In fact, he even looked a bit like his father. He had the same green eyes and face, but his hair was a dark brown rather than the dirty blonde Kendall shared with his father. The man had a long scar running from the corner of his left eyebrow to underneath his right eye. He glanced at Logan briefly before he turned to Kendall with a small smirk.

"No hello?" Kendall cocked his head to the side.

"Who are you?" he asked. The man's smirk widened.

"I, am your Uncle William." Kendall's eyes widened.

"Uncle?" He exclaimed. William rolled his eyes.

"Of course Richard didn't tell you anything. Now, we have much to discuss. Come along." He said.

Kendall looked at the guards who had shown up, along with Liam and his father.

"What are you doing, William?" His father demanded. William chuckled.

"What, can I not spend time with my nephew?" He asked. Richard narrowed his eyes.

"Not when you have missed his birth." Kendall looked away from William and Richard to see his mother, Queen Jennifer, standing next to the king. Her face was void of emotion.

King Richard bit his lip.

"Alright. You can spend time with him. But if anything happens to him, you will be sorry." He said.

"Richard!" Jennifer exclaimed. The king shook his head.

"It's alright, Jennifer. This will be one of the few times he will be allowed to see Kendall." Richard said, glaring at his brother. William smiled.

"Thank you, brother. Come along, young one. We have much to discuss."

Kendall hesitantly followed after his uncle. He stared back at his best friend, who gave him a hesitant smile. Kendall smiled weakly back.

William led Kendall outside and onto the street. Kendall's eyes widened. Everything was so much better up close!

William continued walking until they came to a lake. There were a few women there washing their clothes in the water. They sat on a flat rock.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" Kendall asked quietly. William intimidated him, and he honestly wanted to go back home to the castle with his best friend and parents.

"Oh, nothing in particular. I just want to make sure you father has warned you about the jungle- I mean _dangerous _place." William said, quickly covering his mouth with his hand.

Kendall instantly perked up.

"Jungle?" He exclaimed. William sighed heavily.

"Oh, dear. I have said too much. But, yes. Jungle." He replied.

"Where is it?" Kendall eagerly asked. William shook his head.

"I mustn't tell you, young one." He said. Kendall whined.

"Aw, that's not fair!" He exclaimed. William sighed again.

"Oh, alright. It is over there." William pointed to the dark patch Richard had warned Kendall about earlier.

"There? But my father said it was where evil is." Kendall said, confused. William nodded.

"Oh, but it is. That is why your must never go there. Promise me you won't." He pleaded. Kendall nodded.

"Don't worry Uncle William. I won't." Kendall said.

But behind his back, he crossed his fingers. William had seen this, and tried to hide his smirk.

"Good. Now, I must be going now. I'll take you back home."

Kendall nodded. His uncle led him home silently, and then he left. It had gotten late, so his parents had sent him off to bed. As he lay in bed, Kendall dreamed about the jungle his uncle had told him about.

Completely disregarding what his father said about evil lurking there, he made a plan to take Logan with him to the jungle tomorrow.

* * *

**Kind of a slow start. I promise that it will eventually get better. Also, I will probably try and update my other Kendall/Logan story, and all my other stories, soon. I just really wanted to get this up.**

**Hope you all enjoyed :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**I must say, I was impressed with the amount of positive response to this story. I didn't know how much of a hit this was going to be, but it's nice to know you all like it :)**

**Also, Buddha Bob will be Rafiki in this story. He won't actually make an appearance until later on.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Time Rush or The Lion King.**

* * *

"Logan!"

Logan turned to see Kendall running towards him. The young blonde had a smile on his face, and his green eyes were bright with excitement.

"Hey Kendall." He said, chuckling. Kendall was practically bouncing up and down on his heels.

"Guess what my Uncle William just told me!" Kendall asked, his voice loud. Logan shushed him.

"Not so loud!" He scolded his best friend. Kendall rolled his eyes. He stared pointedly at Logan, who rolled his eyes as well. "Kendall, what did your uncle tell you?" He asked. Kendall's large grin was back.

"He told me there's a jungle at the edge of the kingdom!" Logan raised his eyebrows.

"Really?" Kendall nodded.

"Yeah. So," He smirked at the brunette. "Do you want to come with me to check it out?" He asked. Logan's eyes widened.

"Kendall, are you crazy? We could get in so much trouble!" He exclaimed. Kendall sighed.

"Relax, Logan. Our parents don't have to know." He said.

"Your parents don't have to know what?"

Logan's eyes went wide. Kendall cringed, and slowly turned to see his mother standing behind him with her arms crossed.

"Don't have to know…that we're going to the lake." Kendall said quickly. Logan's eyes widened even more. He looked pointedly at Kendall, who only looked back at him with pleading eyes. Logan sighed.

"Yeah, we are." He said to Queen Jennifer. The queen raised her eyebrow.

"Oh, really? Does your mother know?" She asked. Logan groaned inwardly.

"No." He mumbled quietly. Jennifer laughed.

"Well, then we should tell her, yes? Come along, Logan. You too, Kendall."

The two boys followed behind the queen. They were led down the hall and to a door on the left. Knocking on it lightly, Jennifer waited until she heard a faint 'come in' through the door. Jennifer smiled and opened it, seeing her best friend sitting at her desk reading.

"Oh, hello Jennifer." She said happily. Jennifer nodded.

"Hello, Joanna. Logan and Kendall want to go down the lake, and I wanted to make sure it was okay with you before I gave them permission." Jennifer said.

Logan bit his lip as he waited for his mother to respond.

"If it's okay with you, it's okay with me." Joanna laughed. Jennifer smiled and turned to the boys.

"Well, I guess that settles it. You two have fun. Don't stay out too late!" She said.

"Really?" Kendall and Logan both asked. Their mothers both laughed.

"Yes, really. But," Kendall stifled a groan. "Liam must go with you."

"Mom!" Kendall exclaimed. The last thing he wanted was to be bothered by his father's pesky advisor.

"Now Kendall, you know you can't be wandering around the kingdom without protection." Jennifer chided her son. Kendall sighed and turned to Logan.

"C'mon, Logan. Let's go find Liam." He said. Logan nodded slowly.

The two walked down the hallway and went down a flight of stairs. They went down a much shorter hallway where they found Liam drinking water out of a glass.

"Liam," Kendall said, getting the man's attention. Liam smiled when he saw the two boys.

"Ah, hello Prince Kendall." He bowed quickly to the young prince. He turned to Logan and smiled. "Hello there, Logan." He said. Logan smiled softly.

"Logan and I are going to the lake, and my mother said you have to come with us." Kendall said sourly. Liam shook his head and chuckled.

"Alright, then." He set his glass down and followed after the two young boys.

"Logan, we have to get rid of him." Kendall whispered to his best friend. Logan looked at Kendall.

"How?" He asked. Kendall smiled mischievously.

"Just follow my lead." He said. Logan hesitated, but still nodded.

The group of three exited the castle and stepped outside. The warm sunshine hit their faces, followed by a cool breeze. Kendall smiled. It was the perfect day to go exploring the jungle.

"Ah, a beautiful day. Isn't, Prince Kendall?" Liam said.

"Sure is, Liam." Kendall said pleasantly. Liam smiled, and then he stood up straight.

"Oh, Kendall. Did your father tell you?" Kendall furrowed his eyebrows.

"Tell me what?" He asked slowly. Liam laughed.

"You and Logan are partners!" The king's advisor said in glee. The two boys shared glances before collectively protesting.

"What!"Kendall exclaimed.

"I'm not marrying him! He's my best friend," Logan said. Kendall nodded quickly.

"Yeah. Besides, I don't want to get married." He said. Liam shook his head.

"Ah, that's what they all say. Soon enough, you two will want nothing more than to get married." Liam said.

Kendall and Logan shared glanced before they both laughed. They continued walking to the lake. After a few more minutes, they arrived. Kendall cleared his throat and turned to Liam.

"You know, I'm kind of thirsty." He said. "What about you, Logan?"

Logan cleared his throat.

"Uh, yeah." He said. Kendall smiled.

"Could you get us some water, Liam?" He asked sweetly. Liam nodded.

"Certainly. Stay here; I'll be back soon."

Kendall waited until Liam was completely gone.

"What do we do now?" Logan asked. Kendall smirked.

"Now, we run!" He said.

He grabbed Logan's arm and began tugging him in the direction of the jungle. Logan gasped and tried to keep up with the blonde prince. After a few minutes, they arrived at the edge of the jungle. Both boys gasped.

"Whoa," Logan breathed. Kendall nodded.

"Yeah." He glanced at Logan, before he gently tugged on his wrist. "C'mon, let's go check it out."

In the meantime, Liam had just gotten back with two bottles filled with water. Looking around, he realized he couldn't find Kendall or Logan. Panicking, he turned towards people walking about. Finally, a man told him he had seen the prince and his best friend go in the direction of the jungle. Liam quickly thanked the man and took off running.

"Whoa, look at this!" Kendall gently prodded a bright pink orchid growing on a tree. He turned to Logan, who looked at it.

"It's beautiful." Logan said. Smiling, Kendall plucked the flower off. He bent it slightly and tucked it behind Logan's ear, causing the brunette to blush.

"What do you think you're doing?" A voice hissed. The two gasped and turned to the source of the voice. Behind them stood a woman with long black hair. She wore a long black dress that clung to her tightly. Her skin was extremely pale, and her eyes looked like they were pure black. She stepped towards them, glaring at them. Her expression evened out when she saw Kendall. Her thin lips curled into a smirk.

"My, if it isn't the prince of Gallia himself." She said.

She continued walking forward, causing Logan to tremble in fear. Kendall, however, seemed to be completely calm. Logan envied him because of that. His envy faded when the woman put her hand underneath Kendall's chin and tilted his head up, causing him to gasp.

"What a handsome face you have," She cooed, moving her hand from Kendall's chin to gently touch his cheeks. She grinned evilly. "I wonder how handsome it will be with scars over it?"

The woman reached her hands out, and for the first time Kendall and Logan noticed the long nails she had. Logan gasped and watched as the woman moved her hand to strike Kendall. He lunged forward, throwing his small body at the woman. The flower Kendall had picked for him fell from his ear. The woman groaned, and Logan scrambled up. He ran to Kendall and grabbed his hand, pulling him through the jungle.

After a few minutes, Logan stopped. He was breathing heavily, as was Kendall. Suddenly, a twig snapped. Both turned slowly and saw the woman from before. This time, she was not alone. Next to her was a leopard. She stroked its head before turning towards them.

"This is my dearest friend Atticus. He loves to play with trespassers, especially princes and their stupid best friends." She said, chuckling. She moved her wrist, and the leopard shot forward.

Before the leopard could touch them, gunshots were heard. The leopard fell to the jungle floor, dead. The woman gasped, and took off running.

Kendall and Logan looked to see Liam and King Richard, along with two guards. The king was frowning.

"Kendall, come with me. Liam, take Logan to his mother. Take the guards back to the castle."

"Alright. Come along, Logan." Liam said. Logan slowly turned to Kendall, giving him a worried look.

"Good luck." He whispered softly. Kendall nodded. He needed it.

"Thanks." He whispered back. Logan offered a smile, and Kendall smiled weakly back. Logan slowly began to walk to Liam. Kendall watched as Logan, Liam, and the two guards vanished from sight.

King Richard began to walk out of the jungle. Kendall followed hastily behind him.

His father took him to the lake, where he sat down on a rock. Kendall hesitantly sat down as well.

"What were you thinking, Kendall. Putting yourself and Logan in trouble like that? You could have died." His father scolded. Kendall looked down at his feet, ashamed.

"I'm sorry, father. I wasn't thinking. I just really wanted to see what was there." Kendall said quietly. He looked up at Richard. "Are you mad?" He asked.

Richard shook his head.

"I'm more disappointed. Kendall, I'm not always going to be here to protect you." He said. Kendall's eyes widened.

"You're not? But I thought you were a king?" He asked. His father shook his head and chuckled.

"Just because I'm a king doesn't mean I won't die. It's all part of the circle of life. When one thing dies, another takes its place. Just like how when I die, _you_ will take my place as king."

"How do you know?" Kendall asked curiously.

"My father told me when I was young. You see the stars?" Kendall looked up. For the first time he realized how late it had gotten. He brushed those thoughts away and stared up at the sky, watching as all the little stars shone and seemed to wink at him.

"Yeah," He said quietly.

"Those are where all the past kings have gone after they died. One day, I will be up there too. I, and they, will continue to watch and guide you." Richard explained. Kendall turned to his father in awe.

"Really?" He asked. Richard nodded.

"Yes." Richard smiled at Kendall, who smiled back. "Come on, let's go home." He said. Kendall looked at his father hopefully.

"Does this mean I'm not in trouble?" He asked. Richard laughed.

"Oh, you're still in trouble. You won't be able to go outside of the castle for a week." Kendall pouted.

"Aw, that's not fair." He whined.

"You should have thought about that before you snuck off to the jungle." Richard said, smiling. Kendall sighed heavily and reluctantly agreed before following his father back to the castle.

* * *

"What do you mean he's not dead?" William roared. The woman who stood in front of him, named Victoria, rolled her eyes.

"I mean he's not dead. His stupid father killed Atticus before he could rip his pathetic little face off." She snarled. William shook his head. He slammed his hands onto the table in front of them, his face dark.

"That's it. Tomorrow, I want Kendall and Richard dead."

"And dead they will be."


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, this certainly came out differently than I had planned. But, I still enjoyed this chapter! I hope you all do too.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Time Rush or The Lion King.**

* * *

_"…Huh?"_

_ Kendall's eyebrows furrowed as he walked through the white fog. It swirled around him, obscuring his view. He couldn't see anything but the thick fog. He took two tentative steps. The movement made his clothes shift, and he realized that he was soaked. He touched a spot on his head that burned._

_Pulling his fingers back, he was shocked to see the tips stained red. The sight made him cringe, and he shoved his hand into his pocket._

_The fog slowly began to clear. He realized he was in a meadow. Flowers of all colors grew and intermixed with the green grass. He walked slowly, tramping a few red blossoms. His feet squished into the ground, mud squelching beneath his feet._

_Squish! Squish! Squish-_

_He stopped when he came face to face with a masked figure wearing a long cape. Their head was covered by a black hood. All he could see were dark grey eyes glaring into his own._

_"Hello…?" He asked, cautiously. The figure didn't respond. They only reached into their cape and pulled out a dagger. Kendall's eyes widened._

_"W-What are you doing-"_

_He was cut off by a terrible feeling in his abdomen. Looking down, he saw the handle of the person's dagger protruding from him. His white shirt had turned red from the blood soaking it._

_He looked up, staring at the person. He tried to speak, but he words came out like tiny gasps. He collapsed to the ground, watching the figure through half closed eyes._

_They raised their hands to remove then mask when…_

"Wake up! Kendall, wake up!"

Kendall's eyes shot up. They darted around the room before they finally rested on the silhouette of a person. His hand felt around on his nightstand for his lamp. He pressed the switch, allowing soft, warm, golden light to fill the room. Logan's concerned face became clear. Kendall groaned and sat up, leaning heavily against the headboard.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, barely stifling a yawn.

"I was going to come get water when I heard sounds coming from your room. I got curious, so I came in. The noises had stopped, but then I noticed you weren't breathing. I-I got scared and tried to wake you up." Logan answered quietly. His eyebrows were drawn together, and the wrinkles they imprinted in his forehead instantly made him look older.

"Oh," Kendall mumbled quietly. He avoided Logan's gaze.

"Kendall…?"

"Yes?"

"What did…what did you dream about?" Kendall continued to stare at the ground as he answered.

"Nothing. It was nothing, Logan."

Logan didn't speak for a few minutes. When he finally did, Kendall had to strain to hear what he said.

"I hate it when you lie to me." He muttered. Kendall's eyes slipped close and he left a tiny sigh escape past his lips.

"Logan, I'm fine. It's three 'o clock in the morning. We should both go back to sleep." He said. Logan only shook his head and slipped off the bed.

"Whatever." Logan mumbled. His feet hit the ground softly and he headed towards the door, deep in thought.

_Why won't he tell me what he dreamed about? Is it really that bad?_

Logan shook it off as Kendall being stubborn and headed down the hall to his room.

Meanwhile, Kendall let out a sigh of relief. His mind was filled with vivid images of his dream. Why had he dreamed of that? It scared him. Never had he ever had such a dream.

Slowly, he slid back onto the bed. He closed his eyes, forcing himself to go back to sleep. When he found he couldn't he slowly got up from his bed and walked out of his room into the hall, deciding he would walk around until he became tired.

...

"Well, isn't that sad. Gallia's little prince had a nightmare." William snickered. Victoria smiled.

"Hm. It will the first of many, yes?" She asked. William laughed.

"Of course. Now, come. We must hurry. The guards will be up any minute now."

The two hurried down the hall to the king and queen's room. Queen Jennifer and King Richard were both sleeping soundly. William was beginning to advance on his sleeping brother when Victoria made an annoyed sound.

"What is it?" He whispered.

"The little brat is awake. Look." He looked, and sure enough, Kendall was roaming the halls. He swore quietly.

"Damn it. I'll have to do this alone. Victoria, you follow the boy. I'll take care of my brother and make sure Jennifer doesn't wake up. Don't worry about planting the cloth in Kendall's room. I've got it."

"Okay." Victoria stepped into the hall, stealthily following Kendall. William turned back to his brother, smirking.

He pulled a cloth soaked in chemicals and walked towards the bed. He placed it over Richard's mouth and throat. His eyes shot opened, and he stared at his brother. He raised his arms to attempt to push him off, but William only knocked them aside. After a few minutes, Richard's eyes slipped closed and his breathing stopped. William removed the cloth and ran out of the room. He rushed to Kendall's room, where he shoved the cloth underneath the prince's bed. His eyes widened as he saw two guards walk down a hallway. They both turned, spotting him. Cursing loudly, he sprinted off, the guards following and shouting after him.

"Victoria!" He called.

Victoria rushed towards William's voice. He grabbed her arm and pulled her after him.

"What are you doing?"

"We need to leave now."

"What? What about the boy?"

"Leave him. We don't have time! I saw guards!"

"Hey! Stop right there!"

The two quickly rushed out of the castle, the guards hot on their heels.

In the meantime, Kendall went into his parent's room, confused to see the door already open. Shrugging it off, he went to his father's side of the bed.

"Dad," He whispered. He shook his father's arms. Frowning when he didn't move, Kendall spoke again.

"Dad." He shook a little harder. He sighed.

"Dad!"

Nothing.

"Kendall, what's wrong?" He looked at his mother, who had sat up and was turning on her bedside lamp.

"Dad won't wake up." He said, pouting. Once the words left his mouth, his mouth went slack. His father…wasn't waking up. Come to think of it, his chest didn't seem to be moving either…

"Richard?" Queen Jennifer shook Richard.

"Richard, stop fooling around. Wake up." Silence. Tears filled Jennifer's eyes.

"Richard!"

Kendall felt tears fill his eyes too. They both began crying loudly, clutching at each other.

Two guards entered the room. They asked what happened, and Jennifer managed to explain through her sobs.

"We'll go look around the castle." One of the guards, Arthur, said. He was a somewhat cold man. He often was rather bad at comforting people (like that time when Kendall sprained his ankle while running on the stairs…it was hard to tell who was more in pain).

The other guard, Phillip, gave a sad smile to the two before following Arthur out of the room.

After a few minutes, Arthur and Phillip returned. A white cloth was clutched in Phillip's hands. Their eyes both cut to Kendall.

"Do you want to explain this?" Phillip asked. He sounded like he didn't really want an answer.

"W-What?" Kendall asked. He didn't know what a piece of cloth had to do with him.

"We found this in your room. It…appears to be soaked in chemicals." Phillip clarified. Kendall's eyes widened.

"Why was it in my room?"

"You tell us." Arthur's voice was firm, like it was when he was serious. But there was an underlying tone of angriness, and maybe even a little confusion. Almost as if he couldn't explain the cloth either.

"A-Are you implying my son killed his own father?" Jennifer cut in. Her eyes were rimmed with red, and she looked absolutely furious. "What an absurd thing to assume! He's ten years old for God's sake! He's not capable of murder!" She defended. Arthur seemed to snap.

"Then explain the damn cloth! It was in his room, obviously in his possession! He had to have done it!" He roared. He turned his angry gaze to Kendall. "What do you have to say for yourself, _Kendall_?"

He flinched as he word was spat. Tears filled his eyes once more. There was a strong throbbing in his head. He felt like he was going to faint. He throat became extremely dry, and the world seemed to spin around him. He had to get away from the situation.

So he ran. Of course, it made him seem guilty. And for Arthur, it was enough evidence to prove his point. He and Phillip ran after him, along with some other guards they passed on the way. As Kendall passed Logan's room, he wondered if he would be okay. He wondered if he would ever get to see him again.

Thinking had caused him to slow down. A guard named Antonio wrapped his hands around Kendall's arm. Kendall kicked him as hard as he could before raking his nails down the man's face, never thinking about what he was doing; only acting on pure instinct. Adrenaline pumped through his veins. He ripped himself from Antonio's grasp and flew down the stairs, tripping only once. He spilled onto the ground, but was able to pick himself up and continuing on. He narrowly avoided the arrows the guards were now shooting at him. A few rocks they had thrown had nicked him on his cheek when he had turned to look at how far away they were.

He flung himself out of the castle doors. He refused to stop. His feet pounded against the ground. He pushed people aside, throwing few apologies over his shoulder. He weaved through crowds and jumped over carts filled with fruits and spices. He stopped only when he knew the guards had lost him.

He slumped down to the ground, exhausted. His chest heaved, his lungs greedily taking in air. His eyes opened and closed. He could faintly see a house in front of him. It looked warm and cozy. He picked himself up and dragged himself to it. He made it to the porch before collapsing.

He could faintly hear the door open.

"Hey James, there's a boy out here!"

"What?"

"Yeah, come look!"

"I swear Carlos, you better not be joking."

"Would I joke about this?"

"…Fine."

The door opened wider. Kendall could faintly see two faces looming over him before everything went black.


	4. Chapter 4

News of King Richard's death spread quickly throughout the kingdom. Most were mourning the loss of their great king. He had been the best they had in years. But others weren't so torn up. Some felt that King Richard had been a lousy king. They were secretly elated that their great leader had died.

News of Kendall being the suspected murderer also flew around. Many were both disappointed and disgusted at the young prince. They believed that he should be executed. Guards had taken up to combing through the kingdom, searching desperately to find him.

The queen had ordered that the guards stop their search for Kendall. But they all argued that Kendall _had_ fled the castle. They thought that, along with the cloth found in his room, were enough to prove that Kendall was responsible for his father's death.

"You really think he did it, don't you?" Phillip asked Arthur. The older guard turned to the other, eyebrows raised.

"And you don't?" He asked snarkily. Phillip shifted uncomfortably.

"I just…God, I don't even know. Kendall doesn't seem like he would do that. He and his father had a great relationship. I don't think he killed him." He explained.

Arthur shook his head.

"Just because it looked like he and his father got along doesn't mean he didn't kill him. Have you forgotten that the cloth was found in _his_ room? Anyone is capable of murder." Arthur said. Phillip looked at him doubtfully.

"Even a ten year old child?" He asked. Arthur stiffened.

"Yes," He said slowly. "Even a ten year old child."

* * *

"That jerk!" Logan growled, kicking a rock as hard as he could. How could Kendall do this to him? How could he just leave without saying a single word?

Sure, Logan had heard about Kendall being the suspected murderer. But he didn't believe them. Kendall was his best friend. He wouldn't kill his own father.

Logan frowned, looking over his shoulder. Two girls stood behind him in simple dresses, snickering.

"What's so funny?" He demanded. One of the girls smirked.

"Look Amelia, the murderer's friend is talking to us. I bet he knows where _Prince Kendall_ is."

Logan's frown deepened when he caught the girl's mocking tone as she talked about Kendall.

"You should have more respect. When he comes back, Kendall will be the new king." Logan said. This time, the other girl, who Logan assumed was Amelia, smirked.

"No king of ours will be a murderer." Logan's face flushed in anger. He opened his mouth to retort, but the two girls were already walking away.

Logan turned back around, kicking harshly at the rocks. They skittered away, clanking into each other as they went. Logan felt tears form in his eyes. He wrapped his arms around himself.

"I won't ever forgive you, Kendall." He said lowly. "I won't ever forgive you for leaving."

* * *

"What do we do with him?" Carlos asked, looking expectantly at James. The brunette only shook his head before getting up from his kneeling position.

"Leave him." He said. Carlos stared at him, jaw dropping in shock.

"We can't just leave him!" He said, crossing his arms. James shook his head again.

"Carlos, he's not our kid. His parents are probably looking for him. Just…leave him outside." James said. Carlos narrowed his eyes.

"He's not a dog, James. I don't care if he's not my child. I'm not going to just leave him out here." He said firmly. James groaned before sliding his hand down his face.

"Fine, whatever." He mumbled, heading back inside the house. Carlos smiled and gently lifted the sleeping boy into his arms. He brushed some of the child's blonde hair away from his face.

"I don't know what happened to you, but you're safe now. I promise." He murmured.

**. . .**

When Kendall woke up, he was in a room he didn't recognize. The bed was small, covered with blue sheets. The walls were white. A small desk, a lamp, and a dresser were across from him.

Kendall forced himself to sit up, groaning as he did. His legs hurt, and he feel a faint throbbing in his cheek from where he had gotten nicked by the rocks. He looked about the room again.

Suddenly, he remembered his father. His breath caught, and tears welled in his eyes. He forced them away, refusing to cry. But a hot tear rolled down his cheek. He pulled his aching knees to his chest and rested his head into it, silent sobs shaking his small form.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Kendall lifted his head when he heard the gentle voice. He peered at the man.

"Who are you? What am I doing here?" He asked. The man smiled softly.

"I'm Carlos. I live here with my husband James. You collapsed onto our porch a few hours ago." Carlos said softly, walking into the room.

"I'm Kendall." Kendall said quietly. He regretted it instantly. Surely, Carlos had heard about him. He would think he was a murderer, just like a majority of the kingdom did.

"Isn't that a girl's name?" Kendall looked past Carlos to see a taller man, who he assumed was James. He scowled.

"James," Carlos hissed, swatting at James' arm.

"It's not a girl's name." Kendall insisted, still scowling. James only shrugged. Kendall wanted to dislike him, but then he remembered he _was_ in the man's house. He kept his growing annoyance towards the brunette to himself.

"So, what happened to you?" James asked. Kendall didn't want to talk to him, but not answering would be rude.

"I ran away from home." Kendall said. He heard a small gasp, probably from Carlos.

"Why?" Carlos asked, shocked. Kendall shook his head.

"I'm not welcome there anymore." He said. He couldn't keep the bitterness out of his voice. He looked at the two men in the doorway. They both looked pretty surprised.

"Wow. What did you do kid?" James said. Carlos gave his husband a warning look, but James ignored it.

Kendall gnawed at his bottom lip. He didn't want to tell them. They would be disgusted and kick him out instantly.

"I messed up…really bad." Kendall said. Tears began to form in his eyes again. He didn't even notice them until they fell.

"Oh, Kendall." Carlos said. In the next second, Carlos' arms were around him. Kendall squeezed his eyes shut and pretended that it was his father hugging him. His fisted Carlos' shirt in his hands.

James stood awkwardly in the doorway. He rubbed his neck before clearing his throat.

"I'll go get some tissues." He muttered, more to himself than to Carlos or Kendall. He left quickly.

"I'm sure whatever you did wasn't that bad." Carlos said. Kendall shook his head.

"N-no, it _was_ bad. I-I'm a m-…" Kendall cut himself off. Carlos sensed that there was something Kendall wasn't saying. He wanted to know, but he saw that Kendall obviously wasn't ready to talk to him about it.

"It's going to be okay." He said softly.

Kendall held onto Carlos tighter, hoping he was right.


	5. Chapter 5

Joanna sighed and smoothed Logan's hair away from his face.

"You miss him." She said. Logan ducked away from his mother's hand and crossed his arms. He glare out at the world outside from the high window.

"No. He left." Logan said.

"Exactly. You miss him because he left."

Logan stayed silent. Joanna sighed again.

"I wish the guards would just believe that Kendall didn't kill his father. Everyone has turned their back on him. It's like you will be imprisoned for even uttering his name. Even Jennifer has given up on him, I think. When people call her son a murderer, she says nothing." Joanna said, frustrated.

"I…I want him back." Logan mumbled. He could feel the tears beginning to form, but he forced them away.

"I know, sweetheart." Joanna said gently. She pulled Logan into her arms, cradling her son against her. They sat in silence until a firm knock sounded at the door. "Come in."

The door eased open, and Queen Jennifer stepped in. She looked composed on the outside, but Joanna knew she was ripped apart inside.

"William is making an announcement. He had requested that everyone in the kingdom be present." Jennifer spoke flatly. Joanna nodded before standing up, pulling Logan up as he did.

The trio walked toward the grand balcony that overlooked the entire kingdom. Logan gasped as he caught sight of everyone in the kingdom. The only other time he had seen so many people was when he had snuck out with…

Logan refused to finish his thought. It pained him to think of him. His memories were the only thing he had left of Kendall. His room had been stripped, all his belongings burned. Portraits that used to hang in the halls of him were torn apart. The "wanted" posters weren't even up outside anymore. The memories were all that seemed to remain of the young prince, and as Logan found out, they were the most powerful. He couldn't even see them in his mind's eye without having the urge to break down and cry.

"Hello, everyone!" Logan looked towards William. He stood in the center of the balcony, his arms stretched wide as he addressed everyone. "As you know, our great leader, King Richard, is dead. His murderer of a son killed him."

Angry murmurs spread out across the crowd. Logan opened his mouth to protest, but Joanna shot him a pointed look. Reluctantly, he pressed his lips together and crossed his arms.

"I know, I know," William continued. "Which is why I have decided to appoint myself king. Queen Jennifer shouldn't be expected to rule alone, especially after this…tragedy. And I think I speak for us all when I say that none of us want that…_child_ as king."

The crowd mumbled in agreement. William smiled.

"Now, with that said, are there any objections?" Logan looked towards his mother and Jennifer, who both looked in shock.

He stepped forward.

"Yes, there are." He said. William turned to him before giving a small laugh.

"From who? _You?_A mere child. You know nothing about what's good for the kingdom." William said haughtily.

"Maybe," Logan conceded. "But I do know that _Kendall_is the rightful king. And you are not him." He smirked. William glared.

"Maybe so. But, it seems you are the only one to think that. Perhaps you helped him murder the king."

"Neither of us murdered anyone." Logan said.

"As you say. But, nonetheless, I am the new king." William replied.

"Kendall will come back." Logan said firmly. William laughed.

"If he does…" He leaned down to whisper in Logan's ear. "I'll kill him."

Logan couldn't hold back his gasp. William smirked and straightened, turning towards the guard who presented him with the crown that had belonged to the late king.

Logan watched silently. When cheers erupted throughout the crowd, he fled. He ran straight to Kendall's empty room. He opened drawers and searched under the bed, he flung open the closet and shook the curtains.

After minutes of useless searching, Logan slumped down to the ground. He may not have found anything, but he was determined to prove Kendall innocent, and to make him become the rightful king.

Suddenly, a thought popped into Logan's head. No one seemed to want to bring Kendall back alive. What if Logan brought Kendall back himself and helped prove his innocence? The plan seemed like a long shot, considering how Logan had no idea where Kendall was. But, he was determined to make it work.

He stood up and walked to his room, working out the details of his plan the whole way.

. . .

The smell of food woke Kendall up. He sat up slowly in the bed before walking out. He lazily ran his fingers through his hair before walking to the source of the delightful smell of food.

James was seated at the table when he walked into the kitchen. The brunette man barely gave him a nod of acknowledgement before turning towards the newspaper he held in his hands. Kendall's eyes drifted over to Carlos, who stood at the stove. He plopped himself into a chair.

"Good morning!" Carlos greeted him cheerfully. He slid a plate with pancakes, bacon, and eggs on it in front of him. He gave him a glass of orange juice and a small container filled with maple syrup.

"Good morning." Kendall replied. The meal was simple in comparison to the ones he was used to, but he was grateful for it nonetheless. He ate silently, while Carlos slid into a chair next to James.

"So, what's your story kid?" James asked. Kendall looked up slowly.

"Huh?"

"You know, where'd you come from, age, stuff like that. Oh, and your parents. We should probably be taking you home soon." He clarified.

Kendall swallowed thickly.

"Well, I'm ten. I used to live in Gallia. My parents, well, my dad died. And my mom…she's the queen." Kendall said slowly.

James and Carlos looked at him with surprised stares. Then, James spoke up.

"That means that you're the prince, right?"

"Yes."

"Your dad died. You didn't mention any siblings, so I'm assuming you were next in line for the throne."

"Yes, that's right."

"And your name is Kendall. Which means you're _Prince Kendall_. As in the prince wanted for killing his father."

"Uh, yeah. But I didn't kill my father." Kendall said.

James stared at him some more before he looked towards the newspaper. Then he turned to Carlos.

"If the kingdom's guards find us, they might imprison us. Or kill us." He said. Carlos nodded slowly.

"I'm aware."

James turned back to Kendall.

"You can't go home, can you? They'll kill you." He said. Kendall shook his head slightly.

"I don't think they would go that far…" He mumbled. James raised an eyebrow and slid the newspaper he had been reading before to Kendall.

_**Gallia's Prince Kendall Wanted Dead for Murdering King**_

Kendall scanned down the page until he got to the bottom.

_If anyone sees this boy, please inform authorities as soon as possible. Anyone found hiding the boy will be killed or imprisoned._

Kendall swallowed and turned the newspaper over.

"We can't stay here-" James said. Carlos turned towards him.

"What are you saying? That we leave him to die?" He exclaimed. James sighed heavily.

"Let me finish. As I was saying, we can't stay here. We'll pack our things and move somewhere far from here. And you, Kendall, will be coming with us. Unless you want to stay here and die." He said.

Kendall's eyes widened.

"Me…? Go with…you? But, you don't know me. And if we end up running into guards we'll all be killed."

"Yes, I realize that. But you have your whole life in front of you, kid. It wouldn't be fair if some ass-I mean jerks, decided to end your life. You said you didn't kill your father. And, well, I believe you. God knows why, but I do."

"I believe you, too." Carlos added. He smiled softly at Kendall.

Kendall smiled back. Carlos went to go back up his and James' belongings, while James went through things he kept from his childhood. He found some old clothes, which he urged Kendall to try on. They were a bit loose, but it was fine.

After Kendall had changed into James' old clothes, Carlos burned Kendall's old clothes. He had been wearing the same outfit he wore when he ran from the guards. James hadn't wanted to take any chances, so Carlos burned them.

Then, when that was done, they set off.

**. . .**

Liam shook his head, turning angrily away from the scene playing out in front of him. How dare he? Take the place of king, just like that? Especially when Kendall was the rightful king!

Liam laughed sarcastically.

_Oh, yeah. Everyone thinks he's a murderer._

He'd been with Kendall since the boy was born. A whole, entire decade of his life was spent cleaning up after him and hiding the evidence of the rambunctious blonde's antics. Kendall had been the first baby he had held in his life, the first child he had to ever take care of. And now, he was gone.

_I wonder how Logan's taking it._

It was no secret that Logan and Kendall were best friends. Most of the time, the young prince had managed to rope Logan into his elaborate schemes. He smiled fondly as he thought of them. The two sure had been an interesting duo. Liam doubted it was easy for Logan to cope with his best friend being gone. They had been attached at the hip practically since birth.

Liam made his way through the crowd. When he finally made it through, he looked back at the castle. William still stood at the balcony, bathing in all the attention he received as Gallia's new king. He shook his head, turning away.

_Please come back, Kendall. I have a bad feeling about our new king…_


	6. Chapter 6

They had been walking for a while. Kendall could feel his legs beginning to ache, but he forced himself to ignore it. He trailed after James and Carlos, his hands shoved into the pockets of his borrowed pants.

"You okay, kid?" James asked. Kendall nodded.

It was silent after that. The only sound was of their feet squishing the moist earth, and the occasional chirping of a bird. After a few minutes, Kendall could barely make out the outline of a small house in the distance. When they finally arrived in front of it, he breathed a sigh of relief. They were far away from the kingdom. No one would be able to find them here.

He followed James and Carlos into the house, where they began unpacking their things. Carlos set about cleaning, while James left to buy some food from the small market he had spotted. Kendall explored the house. There were two bedrooms. He chose the smaller one, for it had a perfect view of the small lake not too far from the house. He glanced at the thick vegetation growing, and closed his eyes.

Who was king now? He hoped it was Liam. Liam would make a great king. He was fair and wise, and always seemed to know how to resolve situations. Like the time when he and Logan had gotten into a huge fight over a game when they were little.

Thinking about Logan made Kendall open his eyes. Did he miss him? Did he make a new best friend? Would he remember him? All these questions ran through his mind. If Logan forgot about him, he didn't know what he'd do. It wasn't like he could go to the kingdom and see him. He would be killed if the guards so much as saw him for a nanosecond.

And what about his mother? Did she miss him? Did she pray that he was safe? Was she thinking of ways to find him? Kendall hoped she was. James and Carlos were nice, but they were strangers to him. His mother, well, she was his _mother_. He was her flesh and blood. She had to care, right?

Kendall let his mind wander to his father. It was still hard for him to process he was really gone. He tried to think of who would kill him. He promised himself that if that person wasn't being punished already, that he would punish them himself.

Kendall sighed and pushed himself away from the window. He didn't want to think anymore. The more he thought, the more homesick he became. He looked about the empty room, his eyes zeroing in the small pile of clothes. He walked towards the bed, carefully picking up each piece of clothing and folding it carefully. He refused to think about how the maid, and occasionally his mother, used to fold his clothes.

When he finished, he closed his eyes and sat in front of the window again. He let his eyes close, and after a few moments, fell asleep.

* * *

**Eight Years Later**

It had been eight years since King Richard had died and Gallia was turned over to his younger brother, William. The kingdom was in terrible shape. There was barely enough food to survive on. Many people had died. Some people had snuck out, and made it successfully. Others were either killed or sent to the kingdom's prison. The few that remained were extremely poor. King William refused to let anyone leave the kingdom, which only added to their misfortune.

Jennifer still mourned the lost of her husband. She barely talked to anyone. Jennifer's son, the infamous missing prince, still hadn't showed up. Nonetheless, Jennifer still hoped her son would come home soon. The kingdom needed someone who would take care of them, not let them die.

There was also Joanna and Logan. Joanna was terribly sick, though. The kingdom's doctor reckoned she had only a few more months until she would die. Logan had stayed by his mother's side the whole times. He was now seventeen, and had blossomed into a fine, intelligent, young man. He, like his mother and Jennifer, missed Kendall dearly.

And last, but certainly not least, was Liam. He, too, missed Kendall dearly. He was secretly organizing a small group of some of the guards to go and find the prince so that he could become king. It was hard to convince the guards to help, but Liam was determined to make it work.

"Alright, now is everyone here?" William clapped his hands together. Joanna, Jennifer, Logan, and Liam were all seated on the chairs in the dining room.

"Yes, we're all here. Can you please get on with it?" Liam didn't try to hide his impatience. Logan smirked.

"Logan." Logan looked at William.

"Yes?"

"When you turn eighteen, I have a favor to ask of you. I want you to join the kingdom's army. We will then lead a mission to find Kendall. You will then kill him. You know him the best out of all of us, so surely you would be the best person to choose to defeat him." Liam looked up from the dried out flowers he had been looking at. This would certainly mess with his rescue mission!

"What? You're crazy! I'm not doing it." Logan exclaimed. William narrowed his eyes.

"Are you disobeying the orders of your king? Because I'm sure you know what happens to people to who disobey. Do you really want to be in the prison for the rest of your life?" He said in a deathly calm voice. Logan looked away.

"Fine. I agree."

"Excellent. Liam, you will do for me what you had done for Richard. As for Joanna and Jennifer, I do not need anything from you."

They were allowed to leave after that. Joanna grabbed Logan into a hug.

"Oh, Logan. I don't want you to do it. Please, don't do it." She begged.

"I have to, Mom. It'll be fine. I have a plan." He didn't really, but he had seen the look on Liam's face. He would talk to the king's adviser later and find out what he was planning. Joanna pulled away to give him a confused look.

"What plan?" Logan smirked.

"You'll see. Besides, I don't turn eighteen for another month. It's going to be alright."

Both Logan and Joanna didn't actually think so.

* * *

"Happy birthday!" Kendall opened his eyes. Carlos grinned at him.

"Huh?" He asked groggily. He sat up, attempting to wipe the sleep from his eyes. James rolled his eyes.

"It's your birthday, kid."

Kendall blinked. He was now eighteen. It had been eight, long years since he left Gallia. Eight years since his father had been murdered, eight years since he'd last seen his mother, and eight years since he'd seen Logan. His heart clenched in his chest as he thought of his best friend.

"Oh, yeah." Kendall ran his fingers through his hair. If he had been in Gallia, today would be his first day as king.

"Here." James handed him a small box. Kendall furrowed his eyebrows.

"What is it?"

"Just open it."

He slid the top of the box and barely suppressed his surprised gasp. A small, golden chain was inside. Attached to the chain was a small circle. Kendall opened the circle, and saw on the inside a small picture of himself, Carlos, and James. On the other side was a small inscription, which read _We love you. _

He grinned and turned towards them.

"I love it." Carlos instantly attacked him in a hug. Kendall laughed and patted his father figure's back.

"Yay! I'm so glad. James had been saving up for it for quite a while. We wanted to give it to you at the perfect time. Since you're finally an adult now and you'll probably be leaving soon, we wanted you to remember us."

Kendall shook his head.

"I would never forget you guys." He said. "I really do love you guys. You're like my parents."

Someone sniffled. Kendall look at James before snickering. "Are you crying?"

James gave him a half-hearted glare. "I don't cry, kid." He said.

Kendall laughed before pulling James into a hug. The older man stiffened, but he relaxed and hugged the boy he had come to consider his own son back.

"Thank you." He whispered quietly.

James smiled before hugging Kendall a little tighter.

"No, thank _you_. You gave me the son I never though I would have." He said.

_Click!_

James groaned and pulled away.

"Really?" He said crossly. He liked being in pictures, but he hated it when Carlos took dozens of pictures at one time.

Carlos only laughed.


	7. Chapter 7

Logan walked through the castle, searching for Liam. He blew an irritated breath through his clenched teeth when he couldn't find him. The seventeen year old ran a frustrated hand through his hair before continuing his search.

"Liam!" He shouted the adviser's name, searching the halls. Finally, he spotted him. He sped to the older man, nearly out of breath. "I've been looking for you everywhere." Logan said.

"As was I. I believe we need to talk." Liam said, smiling gently. Logan nodded. Liam led them to an empty office-like room and locked the door.

"You have a plan, don't you?" Logan asked once there were both seated. Liam nodded.

"Yes, I do. But to have it work, I'll need you to do something." Logan bit his lip, but nodded.

"I'll do anything. What is it?"

"I've been trying to get a group of guards to help, but most are convinced Kendall is guilty. And since you're being sent on the mission to kill Kendall, I figured that this particular plan might work."

"What do you need me to do?" Logan asked. Liam chuckled nervously.

"About them...see, you might have to kill the guards that go with you." Logan's eyes widened.

"Are you _insane_? It's already bad enough that William hates me. How do you think he'll react when he finds out I killed his guards?"

"Please, Logan. It's the only way. If you kill the guards, I know that Kendall will have a great chance of going back safely. Don't you want Kendall to take his place as rightful king? You both are supposed to be wed. Don't you want that to happen?" Logan's face flushed.

"I-I don't know." Liam smiled.

"Maybe having to spend time with him will help you come up with your decision?" Logan's face reddened even more.

"W-Whatever."

* * *

**One Month Later**

"Happy birthday." Logan's head shot up as he looked at Joanna. She held out a box to him. Logan's eyes widened.

"Mom! You didn't have to." He said. She smiled.

"I wanted to." Logan winced as she began coughing heavily. "I didn't have enough money to buy you a proper present, so I got you those sweets you always liked." She said.

Logan shook his head.

"Mom, you shouldn't be moving around. You need to rest." He admonished. She smiled a pained smile.

"I only have a few more months, Logan. You heard that doctor. I'd be stupid if I laid on that bed and didn't get you a present. You're only eighteen once." She said.

Logan stared at his lap.

"I can't believe he won't let you go get medicine." Logan said. He clenched his fists. "I hate him."

Joanna sighed.

"Logan. You shouldn't say that. Maybe it is my time." She said.

"It's not! You won't be able to see my become a doctor, or get married," At this, Joanna smiled fondly at him. Logan ignored it and continued. "...or have kids. You'll miss all of it. I...I don't want you to go, Mom." Tears filled his eyes.

Joanna felt her heart break. She wrapped her weak arms around her son.

"I don't want to go either, Logan. But we shouldn't dwell on it. We should fill my last moments with happy memories." Logan nodded agreeing. Suddenly, Joanna pulled away, a worried look in her eyes. "Oh no." She said softly. Logan furrowed his eyebrows.

"What is it?" He asked. She looked at him.

"Today's the day you leave on the mission." She said sadly. Logan's eyes widened.

"I forgot all about it." He said. He looked at his mother. "I'm sorry, Mom." She shook her head and brushed his hair away from his forehead.

"It's fine. You got to do what you got to do. Don't worry about me, I'll be okay."

A knock on the door made Logan freeze. Joanna nodded at him. The eighteen year old approached the door. Liam stood on the other side, smiling slightly.

"It's time." He said simply. Logan nodded.

"I'm ready." He turned around to face his mother. She slowly got up from the floor and walked to him. She wrapped her arms tightly around him.

"Be safe."

"I will." Logan promised. Joanna released him, and he followed Liam down the hall. They walked to the armory, where the other guards were getting suited up.

Logan grunted as a pile of armor was shoved at him. The guard, who Logan did not recognize, smirked.

"You'll need this, kid. We don't know what that bastard's been up to. Probably has a bunch of people protecting him."

Logan bit back his retort and pulled the armor on slowly.

He turned to look for Liam, slightly worried to see the man was gone. He gritted his teeth and accepted the sword being held out to him, grunting as his arm was weighed down. The three other guards laughed.

"The king wants this _fool_ to kill the runaway? Like that's going to happen. He can't even hold a sword!" They exclaimed, holding their sides as they laughed. Logan gritted his teeth.

_I hate you all._

"I may not be able to hold a sword, but I can hold a dagger pretty damn well." To prove his point, Logan picked up a dagger from the table next to him and swung it in his hands with expert skill. He threw it at the wall, missing the uncovered head of a guard by a mere inch.

The guard grunted, and the teasing ceased.

_Hm. Bet you didn't see that coming._

"So you're Logan, right?"

"Is there another Logan here?" Logan said, pulling his helmet on. The guard chuckled.

"You're a sassy one, aren't ya?" He said. At Logan's silence, he held out a hand. "I'm Rowan. Those two idiots behind me are Walter and Joesph."

Logan briefly looked at them before clasping Rowan's hand in his own.

"I would say I was pleased to meet you, but that would be a lie." He looked over all of them carefully. "I'm in charge, alright?" Joesph snorted.

"What makes you think you're in charge?" He asked. Logan looked at him before smirking.

"I know Kendall better than anyone. It makes sense for me to lead." Joesph rolled his eyes.

"You're just a kid. A kid who barely knows how to fight." He said. Logan looked at him coldly.

"You're underestimating me."

"You can't hold a sword."

"I will gladly throw another dagger at your pathetic head." Logan hissed. Joesph didn't seem affected by Logan's threat.

"All of you royals are the same. You think you're important and all that, when really all you are is a bunch of weak shits hiding under a roof and the protection of the guards. You couldn't fight even if it were the end of the world."

Rowan and Walter watched Logan uncomfortably. The young man clenched his hands into fists.

"I'm not like that."

"Oh, yeah. You're not even royalty. Especially since your bitch boyfriend left you. He didn't even say goodbye, did he? Just murdered Richard and left. Isn't that right, Logan?"

"Go to hell. I hope Kendall kills your sorry ass." Joesph smirked, happy that he had gotten under Logan's skin.

"I'll see you there, Princess."

Logan looked like he was going to say something else, but was interrupted by seeing William in the doorway. He closed his mouth. Rowan, Walter, and Joesph and straighted instantly.

"Your majesty." Rowan said. He, Walter, and Joesph bowed. Logan stayed in his upright position, crossing his arms and frowning. William smirked.

"They're not giving you any problems, are they?" He asked. Logan looked at Joesph, smirking as the older man swallowed nervously.

"Nope."

"Excellent. I have the map here. I want you all to leave before dusk." They all nodded. Logan chewed his lip. They had barely over an hour to prepare. He went through his and Liam's plan in his head. He looked at Rowan, Walter, and Joesph. He doubted he would be able to take them down easily. But he had to do it...for Kendall.

"Alright. We're done here, so I guess we'll work out the details of our plan." Logan said. William looked at him.

"I trust you won't disappoint me, Logan." He said. Logan inwardly smirked.

"Of course not." He said. William nodded.

"Good. I'll leave you all to prepare." He left the room, closing the door behind him.

Logan spread the map out on the table, grabbing a pen from a small bowl.

"Alright, so the woods start here. I'm assuming Kendall fled to Marlin, which is a mile from Gallia's border." He circled the area on the map. "People probably won't be truthful to guards, so we should shed our armor somewhere and make them think we live there."

Joesph, of course, instantly disagreed.

"Are you crazy kid? Then _their_ guards will kill us." Logan gave him an annoyed look.

"Marlin's army isn't as strong as ours. They only have wooden spears and they don't wear armor. If we need to kill them, we can take them out easily." He said in a flat tone. Joesph pressed his lips together tightly.

"So what else are we doing?" Walter asked.

"Once we shed our armor, we should ask around. We'll tell them that we're Kendall's cousins or something. They'll buy that. When we get Kendall's position, I need you all to stay behind." Logan said. Walter narrowed his eyes.

"Why?"

"Because Kendall won't come with us if he sees you. He'll be suspicious. Remember, he knows all of your faces pretty well. He'll know that we're trying to kill him."

"Alright." Walter said.

After that, they practiced their fighting. Logan still couldn't use the sword all that well, so he just took daggers. By the time they finished practicing, it was time to leave. Upon exiting the castle, Logan gave a quick nod to Liam. The man smirked and gave him a thumbs up. His mother gave him a reassuring smile, as did Jennifer.

Logan took a deep breath as they walked towards the woods.

He could do this. He _had_ to do this.

For Kendall.


	8. Chapter 8

"I think we're lost." Walter piped up. Rowan made a sound of agreement.

"I'll have to agree. It's dark, and these torches could blow out any moment. I think we should just stop here." He said. Logan shook his head.

"No. We have enough time. We're not that far away." He began to walk again, but Joesph roughly grabbed his arm.

"No. We're stopping. You're going to put us all in jeopardy if we keep going. We'll just stop and continue in the morning." He said. Logan yanked his arm back.

"You want to stay? Fine. But I'm going on." Logan said. He hoped they would stay. He could go and get Kendall, and wouldn't have to worry about killing them until he went back or they came to find him. And since he'd have Kendall with him, it would be a fairer fight.

"Wait, I thought we're supposed to do this together?" Walter said. Logan looked at him.

"Well I'm not going to wait around here. I'm going to get this done." He snapped, and began walking. Joesph grabbed his arm again.

"Hold on. Back at the castle, you wanted us to hang back while you got rid of Kendall. And now, you want us to stay behind while you go ahead." He said, his eyes narrowed. Logan swallowed roughly.

"So what? I know you losers won't do it." He said. Joesph's eyes narrowed even more.

"But you're the one who can barely fight. And while that brat was in the kingdom, _you_ were his best friend. When people called his a traitor, you always defended him. Something tells me you're not going there to kill him." He said, looking straight into Logan's eyes.

"I _am_ going to kill him. The king said I was the one who knew him best, so I should be the one to kill him." Logan said. Joesph shook his head and gave him a skeptical look.

"I don't believe you. I'm going with you. Rowan, Walter, if you want you can stay here. I know you're tired." He said. The other two guards nodded.

Logan mentally began cursing. How the hell would he get out of _this _one? This was another time he really missed Kendall. The blonde boy always had a plan, and could come up with one in even the most stressful of situations. Logan groaned softly and pulled his arm away.

"Fine. But you better not touch me again." He growled. Joesph held his hands up defensive. Logan adjusted his helmet and held the torch tighter in his hand.

"Got it."

They began to walk away. After a while, they had gotten a safe distance away from Rowan and Walter. Logan chewed his lip, not knowing if he could do this. He shook his head, getting rid of his doubts. He pulled his dagger out, clenching it in his free hand. He blew the torch out, causing Joesph to turn to him.

"What the hell? We need that light." He said. Logan swallowed roughly.

"I prefer the dark."

"Well that's nice and all, but now we can't see." Joesph said. He peered into the darkness, seeing Logan's form stiffen. "...Logan?"

The next thing he knew, he was tackled to the ground. He grunted in pain, hearing his helmet make a clinking sound as it flew off of his head and landed on some nearby rocks.

"What the fuck are you doing?" He hissed, air escaping in lungs painfully. Logan shifted on top of him before pressing one hand against his mouth. Joesph began to thrash, and Logan squeezed his thighs against the man's body in an attempt to make him stay still.

"Don't worry, it'll be all over soon." _Hopefully_.

Logan moved the dagger down to Joesph's throat. He pressed against it, and could feel a small amount of blood smear onto his hands. He squeezed his eyes shut, not wanting to think about what he was about to do. He moved the dagger back and brought it down as hard as he could. He felt more blood splash onto his hand, and a sick feeling came into his stomach. Joesph's body stopped thrashing, and Logan removed his hand. He pressed his fingers against his neck, letting out a breath he hadn't known he was holding.

Joesph was dead.

He got off the man's body, pulling the dagger from his throat. A squelching sound was made when the blade slipped out of his throat, and Logan gagged. He shakily stood up, squinting into the darkness. The moon vaguely lit area, and Logan knew navigating the thick vegetation in the dark would be hard. He striped himself of his armor until he was left in his regular clothes. He put the bloody dagger into a pouch tied around his waist and continued walking, pressing his hand against trees to stabilize himself.

After a while, Logan finally found himself at the border between Gallia and Marlin. Taking a deep breath, he slowly entered the other kingdom. As he expected, there were a few guards near the gate that led inside the kingdom. Logan quietly crept to a covered area that still allowed some of the torchlight to reach him. His cursed when he saw his hand was stained with blood. He quickly tore off a piece of his shirt and rubbed his hand. Most of the blood came off, but his hand still had a reddish hue to it. He sighed and threw the cloth down.

He slowly approached the gate. The guards straightened, and one of them pointed his spear at him.

"State your name and purpose." The guard without the spear said firmly.

"Logan Mitchell. I'm looking for someone." He said. The guard relaxed, and opened the gate for him.

Logan stepped through, hearing the gate close as soon as he was on the other side. The streets were basically deserted, save for a group of boys his age huddled around a barrel. Logan walked towards them.

"Excuse me," He began. One of the boys looked up at him. He had blonde hair and green eyes. Logan felt his stomach clench. Was that Kendall?

"Whoa," The boy breathed. He walked towards him, and he instinctively stepped back. "I haven't seen you here before."

"I'm not from around here. I'm looking for someone." Logan said, stepping away from the boy once more. The boy stopped, tilting his head to the side.

"Who are you looking for?" He asked.

"Kendall Knight." He said. The boy shook his head.

"Sorry, but I don't know anyone with that name."

A sinking feeling filled his gut. So the boy _wasn__'t _Kendall. And, apparently, he didn't know who Kendall was either.

"Look, I really have to find him. Do you know of anyone who could help me?" He asked. The boy chewed his lip.

"There's this old lady that doesn't live too far from here. Her name's Iris. She knows basically everyone in the kingdom." Logan felt himself grow hopeful.

"Can you show me where she is?" The boy nodded, and Logan followed him down the street. He paused briefly, then turned left. After a few minutes, Logan found himself in front of a small, quaint house. It was nothing like the castle Logan had grown up in.

"She should still be awake. If not, you can try again in the morning. If you need a place to stay, the motel is a little ways down the street." The boy told him. Logan nodded.

"Okay, thanks."

"No problem." Logan watched the boy disappear before slowly walking up the few steps and knocking on the door.

The door opened after a few moments, and Logan saw an small, old woman in front of him. She wore a simple dress, and her long grey hair was braided neatly. He instantly knew it was Iris.

"Hello. Can I help you?" Iris asked.

"Um, sorry to intrude at such a late hour. But I'm looking for someone, and it's important that I find him." Logan said. Iris smiled and opened the door wider, gesturing for Logan to enter.

"Then you've come to the right place." She said. Logan followed the woman into the room. She sat him down in front of a table, and sat on the other side. On top of the table was a very thick book.

The woman looked at him curiously.

"You're not from around here." She said. Logan shook his head slowly.

"No, I'm from Gallia." He replied. The woman furrowed her eyebrows slightly.

"Well, who are you looking for?" She asked. Logan cleared his throat.

"Kendall Knight." Iris opened the book and flipped through the pages quickly. After a few minutes she stopped, placing her finger along the page. She ran her finger down, stopping once she saw what she was looking for. "He lives in Brock's Creek. It's a few blocks over."

Logan felt his heart race. After all these years, he would finally see Kendall again.

"O-okay, thanks." Logan said, quickly getting up. He exited the house, ignoring Iris's calling behind him.

He realized that in his excitement, he had forgotten to ask which way Brock's Creek was. He considered going back and asking Iris, but he really didn't feel like being lectured for running off. So he continued straight, passing the motel the boy had told him about. At the end of the street, he made a right. He hadn't been particularly good with directions, but he felt like this was the right way to go.

He made a few more rights, and found himself at a street. There were a few houses on either side. Logan walked down, blinking the the darkness. At the end of the street was the last house. It was surrounded with the dense forest. Logan felt his stomach begin to knot. Taking deep breaths, he approached the small house and knocked.

A light flickered on, the door opened with a slight whine. A boy about his age stood in front of him. His blonde hair fell into his eyes, which were a bright emerald green. The boy's widened when he looked at him.

"Kendall..."

"Logan..."


End file.
